


The Wrong Direction

by Sukiyaki_Rut



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Mild Angst, No idea what I'm doing, POV Alternating, Pride and Prejudice References, Rating May Change, Slow Burn, but same as in books, probably going to have a lot of cursing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-04
Updated: 2018-03-13
Packaged: 2019-02-10 11:58:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 14,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12911460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sukiyaki_Rut/pseuds/Sukiyaki_Rut
Summary: The AU in which Laurent and Damen are partners for a Gen Ed class with more work than necessary.  Damen knows everyone and is everyone's favorite person on campus but Laurent has no idea who he is and doesn't know what he's getting into.





	1. Dancing On My Own

Laurent de Vere had a 3.8 GPA, and it would have been higher if Calculus made any sense. But it was still good enough to keep him solidly in the Honors College, and well on his way to graduating. And this semester, the beginning of his junior year, was looking pretty easy. He knew some of his professors already, and he was finishing up his Gen Ed requirements with a course on world literature. 

He settled into a seat in the middle of the room, close enough that he could hear the professor but far enough that he wouldn’t be called on too often. The class started with the usual introduction by the professor and quick summary of the syllabus. About five minutes into this though, the doors at the back of the lecture hall flew open, and a dark-haired student in a red and white sports jacket ran down the stairs to fling himself into the only available seat – next to Laurent. 

The professor blinked behind her wire-rimmed glasses. “Excuse me, what is your name, sir?”

“Damen. Damen de Akielos,” he said with a smile that could melt the most frozen ice. Was the professor blushing? Laurent rolled his eyes and took the sign-in sheet as it came to him.

“Well, Mr. de Akielos, this may be a general education credit, but I do not take tardiness lightly. Please get yourself to class on time in the future.”

Damen grinned and nodded at her. Laurent gagged a little as he handed Damen the sheet. He scratched out his name and passed it on. “Now then,” the professor continued, “I hope you all chose your seats wisely as the person next to you will be your partner for the year. Instead of a written final, you will be presenting a final project that will account for thirty-five percent of your grade.” She went on to give preliminary instructions about the project while Laurent died inside at the thought of working with the meathead beside him. 

Class ended, and Damen turned to him with a smile. “Hi! I’m Damen.”

“I know,” Laurent said, and Damen’s smile grew wider if that was possible. He sighed. “Listen, I’m going to guess you’re on the football team or something and don’t care if you pass this class, but I do, all right? I get that you’re not going to do most of the work, but just do the parts I tell you, and this will be fine. I’ll give you easy things, don’t worry.”

Damen was staring at him with the expression like Laurent imagined a computer might wear as it processed an error message. “Can I get your number?”

Laurent rolled his eyes but recited the number as Damen typed it into his phone. “Don’t text me about stupid stuff. And I won’t do your other homework for the class.” Laurent shouldered his backpack and strode out of the lecture hall. Well, this would be a fucking wonderful class. 

His phone buzzed as he reached his dorm. 

**Unknown Number:** Hi! You didn’t get my number, so here it is! I look forward to working with you, partner ;)

Laurent grimaced at the overly enthusiastic words. He saved the number but didn’t deign to respond. Damen de Akielos had already been categorized by Laurent’s mind as someone he never wanted to work with after this project. He pushed open the door to the small dorm room he shared with Jord. It was really just a glorified concrete box with some posters on the walls, but it was cheaper than any of the apartments in the area. Besides that, it was close to their classes, and Laurent found he could sacrifice comfort for sleeping in a few extra minutes. 

Jord was, at the moment, asleep on top of his blankets with his backpack still on. Laurent…wasn’t surprised. He sat at his desk and cracked open a book, relieved that there was no real homework on the first day of classes. It was only two in the afternoon, and he would be starting his shift at work at three, but for now he could relax a little. He read until he would have to run to make it to work on time, but the important part was that he did make it on time. He dropped into the desk at the library beside Pallas. It wasn’t uncommon for the two of them to have shifts together. Not that Laurent intended to be overly friendly. There wasn’t much point to it that he could see. 

He logged onto the computer and pulled up a news website as Pallas launched into a description of some guy he liked. It was annoying, but the job as a whole was much better than working in the cafeteria as he had his freshman year and half of his sophomore year. The library was a definite upgrade from people yelling orders at him and occasionally breaking into food fights like they were in a movie instead of real life. What was the point of food fights in college anyway? If Laurent paid for food, he wanted to eat that food. 

“Hi!” 

Laurent looked up from his computer at the giant excitable puppy that was Damen. “Do you need something?” 

“No, but I saw you over here, and I thought I’d say hello. I never got your name.” He was smiling that wide grin again, and Laurent shook his head. He was incorrigible. 

“Laurent,” he answered though. 

“Laurent what?” Damen put an accent on the name that sounded kind of nice actually. 

“de Vere. Now will you leave? I’m working.” 

“You don’t look like you’re working.” Laurent glared at him, and Damen’s grin faded a little. “Well, when do you want to work on the project? I have a lot of stuff going on, so we’ll need to plan now.” 

It was an effort not to groan. “Does Saturday work?” 

“No, I have a game that evening. I’ll be busy all day. I’m free Sunday night though.” 

“Okay, sure,” Laurent shrugged. He would get off work at five on Sunday. 

Damen grinned as though Laurent had just given him a million dollars instead of a time to meet. “Would six o’clock work? There’s this nice restaurant –“ 

“We won’t get much done in a restaurant,” Laurent interrupted. “Let’s just say six o’clock here, and you can stop bothering me.” 

Damen managed to keep his grin up as he said good-bye to Laurent and walked away. Laurent pinched the bridge of his nose. It would be a long semester. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...I don't know if this is any good, but I'll try to keep updating.
> 
> Fic Title is "The Wrong Direction" by Passenger
> 
> Chapter Title is "Dancing on My Own" by Calum Scott


	2. Come a Little Closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laurent and Damen have their first meeting for the assignment

“Damen, I fucking swear if you start dating that badmouthing little –“  


“It’s fine,” Damen said, ignoring Nikandros behind him.  


“He’s exactly like Jokaste!” Nik protested. Damen rolled his eyes. He could probably recite this speech along with his friend. Jokaste was mean and manipulative, and he shouldn’t date other mean and manipulative people just because they were blond. There was more, but it was mostly a repeat of that. Damen scrolled through his Twitter feed instead, replying to a few of his friends on campus. He had several thousand followers – essentially the entire school. He wondered if Laurent had a twitter, and then he wondered how to spell Laurent. “Are you even listening to me?” Nik practically shouted, interrupting his thoughts.  


Damen let his head fall back on the couch so he could see Nik’s angry figure moving around the kitchen in their apartment. “I don’t have to listen if I know what you’re saying.”  
Nik said something else, but Damen ignored him, choosing to text Laurent.  


**Damen:** How do you spell your name?  


He waited for a response, disappointed when one didn’t come quickly enough. He switched back to Twitter and scrolling for a few minutes without reading anything. Laurent’s text appeared at the top of the screen, and he clicked on it with a grin lighting his face. It was…just his name. Nothing else. No hello or how are you. Just a name spelled out. Damen put the correct spelling into his contacts and decided to send another text.  


**Damen:** How was your day? Are you still at work?  


There was a pause and then Laurent replied.  


**Laurent:** It was fine, and I wouldn’t text you if I were still working.  


What could he say next to keep the conversation going? He could bring up the project or –  


**Laurent:** I need to reschedule. Sunday won’t work for me.  


**Damen:** I’m free now!  


The typing bubble appeared then disappeared. It came up again, and Damen wondered what the first message had been.  


**Laurent:** Library?  


He responded enthusiastically and grabbed his backpack, which still had his school things in it. “Where are you going?” Nik demanded.  


“School stuff,” Damen answered, running out the door and half-slamming it behind him. He climbed onto his bike and pedaled the distance to the library where he took the minimum amount of time to secure his bike in the stand. Inside, Laurent occupied one of the mostly abandoned tables, and he was reading something intently on his laptop. Damen grinned and walked over. He could have sat across from Laurent, but he chose the seat beside him instead.  


“Hey,” he greeted. “What’s up?”  


“Homework,” Laurent replied tersely. He closed the page before Damen could see anything and pulled up the list of books they could choose for the class. The assignment was fairly straightforward: They had to choose a classic novel and prepare a presentation about the main themes. To make things difficult however, the presentation couldn’t be something simple like a PowerPoint; they had to “be creative.” This vague instruction was by far the most frustrating part of the syllabus.  


“You look really pretty when you concentrate,” Damen commented, and Laurent glared at him. Damen faltered then opened his own laptop to the same screen. “So, um, any of these books look good to you? Maybe something not too long? I’ve got a lot to do.”  


“Like party?” Laurent sniffed.  


“Maybe I like to party,” Damen said. “You should come. It may not be as bad as you think. Friday?”  
Laurent shook his head. “Weekends don’t work for me. I have to go home then.”  


“Well, maybe your parents would let you stay on campus one weekend.”  


“I don’t live with my parents,” Laurent said. He pointed to one of the books on this list. _Pride and Prejudice._ “What about this one? It’s fairly straightforward. I’m sure even you could make it through.”  


“Oh, yeah, I saw that movie.”  


Laurent frowned at him. “You do know there have been at least five movies based on this.”  


“Really?” Damen asked, googling the fact as he spoke. “Maybe we should watch them all for research.” He found one site claiming seventeen adaptions. That would be time-consuming. He could get to know Laurent in that time. He was sure once Laurent let his walls down he wouldn’t be so acidic.  


“Maybe we should start with reading the actual book.”  


“Right,” Damen grinned. “And then we can meet to discuss it and figure out the project.” He tried to reign in his natural excitement, but being around Laurent was…exciting, plain and simple. He hadn’t felt so intrigued by a person since the thing with Jokaste, and besides being exactly Damen’s type, Laurent was interesting. He was clearly smart, and Damen even sort of liked the sarcastic tones of his voice.  


“I get off work most days at six,” Laurent offered.  


Damen nodded and pulled out his phone, which listed his entire busy schedule. “Um, I can meet at this time next week, or Friday between 3:30 and 4:15.”  


Laurent was glaring, and Damen had the feeling he’d said something wrong. “You have to have _some_ other free time. Just skip a party.”  


“I can meet before eight any day. Well, except Wednesday because there’s this running group I signed up for, and…” he trailed off as he realized Laurent didn’t want to hear about the group. 

“It’s not all parties actually,” he attempted.  


“I’m sure.” Laurent stood and gathered his things. “This time next week then. Have the book finished.” Damen watched him leave, taking a moment to appreciate Laurent’s blond ponytail swishing against his back. It would work out, Damen told himself. It would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from the song by Cage the Elephant.
> 
> Thanks for the great response to this fic! I'd hoped to make this chapter longer than it is, but I was traveling over the weekend, and it's been hectic. I'm really hoping I'll have more time for the next few chapters, and I'll try to update regularly on Tuesdays. Hope you all like this!
> 
> Also, I did a quick look up, and if you include adaptions like Bridget Jones's Diary, there are 17 Pride and Prejudice movie/tv adaptions according to this: https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/02/every-film-and-tv-adaptation-of-pride-and-prejudic.html


	3. Some Things Never Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laurent goes to his uncle's for the weekend

Laurent sat in the passenger seat of Jord’s car for several seconds after they pulled up to the white-washed house with its picket fence and green shutters. It looked like a perfect home with the yard impeccably tended by the gardeners who came once every two weeks. “We could say you’re sick,” Jord suggested.

There was no need for Laurent to respond. They both knew the suggestion was flawed. It wouldn’t work for even five minutes. “I’ll see you Sunday,” he said at last and opened the door. It was Friday evening, and Laurent was home as he always was unless there was a truly convincing reason for him to stay away. He shouldered his backpack and started up the walk. Jord pulled away only when Laurent fit his key into the door and stepped inside. Hearing the car drive away felt like a knife twisting in Laurent’s stomach. His uncle met him inside with a smile and a hug that was too tight. 

“How are your classes?” the man asked with a smile that would have looked genuine to anyone who didn’t know him.

“Good,” Laurent answered. And even with the problems caused by Damen and the heavy workload he was already taking on, they were. Good, safe, happy. They were all relative words. It didn’t matter how annoyed he was about something at school when coming back here was so much worse. 

They walked into the dining room where Nicaise was setting out the food. Laurent knew his uncle was talking, and he was replying, but he couldn’t have said what they were talking about. He was on autopilot as he took the same seat he always did and mechanically ate the food without tasting it. At least he had a few assignments to work on while he was here. He could avoid his uncle while he worked on those, and they would hopefully occupy most of the weekend. The conversation continued with Laurent answering questions he barely heard and Nicaise cussing between every bite of food. 

Suddenly, there was the blaring ring of a cellphone. Laurent stumbled out of his reverie as he realized it was his phone. “Sorry,” he said, taking the phone from his pocket, ready to send the caller to voicemail. 

“Oh no, go ahead,” his uncle said. “Answer it. It’s not as if we were having a family meal.”

“It’s nothing important,” Laurent said as the phone kept blaring. How many times would it ring? 

“Answer it,” his uncle repeated, and Laurent didn’t argue. 

He tapped the button to answer and brought the phone to his ear, realizing he didn’t even know who was calling. “Hello?” he asked. He would get rid of whoever it was quickly. If he were lucky, it was just a telemarketer. No one else really called him.

“Hey!” Damen’s voice exclaimed. “I wasn’t sure you would pick up!”

“Yeah, it’s not a good time actually. If this is important, I can call you back or you could text me.”

“Oh,” Damen said, clearly disappointed. “Well, I’m heading out in a bit, but I wanted to tell you I’ve been reading the book, and I have some ideas, but I can tell you later.”

“Great,” Laurent said and ended the call. He looked to his uncle’s stony expression. “It was just a guy asking about homework. Sorry for the interruption.” 

His uncle’s expression didn’t change. “Hmm, well, maybe you should turn off your phone in the future so it doesn’t disturb family events.”

“You’re right,” Laurent agreed. “Sorry.” How many times had he said that now? It took a few more moments before the dinner returned to what passed for normal. When they finished eating, Laurent helped Nicaise with the dishes, trying to discern how things were going for the smaller boy. There was a bruise at the base of his neck like a hand had gripped him there but he only told Laurent to fuck off when asked about it. Too soon, Nicaise and his uncle went up to bed, and Laurent was left in the first floor living room. He wasn’t ready to go up to his childhood bedroom yet. Sometimes he slept on the couch to avoid the memories in that room.

His phone rang suddenly, startling Laurent. He thought he had turned the volume off now, but apparently not. He answered on the first ring. “Hello?” he asked quietly, stepping into the bathroom in hopes that his voice would be even quieter there.

“Hi,” Damen said. “Is this a better time?”

“I guess,” Laurent said, settling against the wall and stretching his feet out over the fuzzy maroon bathmat. “Weren’t you going to a party?”

“Yeah, but I left early.” There was a pause. “Are you okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Laurent snapped, probably giving himself away. 

He heard a little exhale of laughter and imagined Damen smiling at him. “You didn’t sound like your normal self.”

“My normal self?” Laurent heard himself asking. 

“You know, acerbic.”

“That’s a big word for a jock,” Laurent teased. Or flirted. Was this flirting? Shit.

There was a pause on the other line. “So… _are_ you okay?” 

Laurent wondered what Damen would say if he told the truth. _Actually, I’m in my uncle’s house, hiding out in the bathroom as he fucks a kid upstairs. I’m doing just great! What about you?_

“I’m all right,” he said. He could have hung up then he guessed, said something about homework or being tired. But he wanted to keep talking. Damen was unnaturally happy, and in a strange way, it balanced how Laurent felt at the moment. “Tell me about your ideas.”

He expected Damen to ask questions, to pry about his changing the subject. But instead, Damen launched into his ideas and opinions based on the first few chapters of the book. He hadn’t finished it yet, he admitted, but he was very proud about being all the way to chapter sixteen. Almost halfway! Laurent couldn’t help but smile at that and how Damen said he had been reading whenever he had time because he really did want to get a good grade. And despite the book’s reputation as stuffy and old, he really did like it although Darcy was a total prick. 

“Just wait,” Laurent said at that.

“Does he get worse?” Damen asked. “That thing with Wickham was low. Like worse than my brother, and that’s a low point to reach.”

“Your brother?” Laurent asked, trying to find a more comfortable position between the wall and the shower. He thought for a moment of his own brother who had died in a car accident several years before. Auguste had been everything to Laurent, and he wished more than anything that his older brother was still around. 

“Yeah,” Damen said. “He and my girlfriend had an affair behind my back.”

“Girlfriend?”

“Well, ex-girlfriend. I’m currently single, just so you know.”

Laurent’s smile faded. “I’m not really interested.”

“Oh, yeah, it was just a joke.” Damen hesitated. “I shouldn’t have said that, should I? You were finally sounding happy.”

The comment made Laurent freeze. Happy? When was the last time someone had described him like that? When was the last time he had felt like that? He suddenly felt the need to end this conversation before it got too deep or too close. “Yeah, well, I need to go. It’s getting late, you know.”

“Right,” Damen said. “Goodnight, Laurent.”

Laurent hesitated. “Goodnight, Damen,” he replied and hung up immediately after the words left his lips. He held his phone in his hands for a few moments, staring at its black screen. It was only eight thirty, not late at all, and Damen had to be conscious of that fact. It was strange how perceptive the man could be despite all appearances to the contrary. Because…Laurent didn’t feel happy, but he felt something close to that.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title from "Queen of Peace" by Florence + The Machine -- very good song, and I very much recommend
> 
> Thanks for the awesome response to this! I'm so glad you guys are enjoying it!


	4. Heaven Help a Fool Who Falls in Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damen asks Laurent out and...there are complications

Damen turned his phone over in his hands. He wasn’t usually so nervous about this sort of thing, but this was Laurent. He’d felt like they connected over the weekend, but he had a tendency to over-romanticize things. The professor entered the classroom, and Damen knew it was now or never. He would send the text then put his phone away and just not look at it until he went to lunch. And if nothing else, he would see Laurent in class tomorrow.

**Damen:** Would you want to go on a date sometime? 

He hit send and immediately dropped the phone into his backpack. It was still nearly impossible to focus on the lecture. But Laurent was too good a student to be texting in class. Damen didn’t actually know if Laurent had a class right now, but it was better to assume he did and not be disappointed if there were no reply. Right. Good plan. Damen absently wrote down what was on the professor’s PowerPoint in his notebook. He could study actual notes from one of his friends later. As soon as the class finished and he was outside, Damen took out his phone, and his heart leapt to see that there was a message. Then he read it. 

**Laurent:** Why would I want to do that?

That was just mean. Although...he could be flirting. It was possible at least. Damen decided to reply. 

**Damen:** You’d want to because I’d take you out to a nice dinner and your choice of movie and then we could go for a walk or something. It would be a lot of fun. 

Laurent read the message almost instantly and Damen held his breath as the bubble appeared to show he was typing. 

“Damen!”

Damen jumped at the sound of his name and looked up to see Nik coming towards him. 

“What are you doing?” Nik demanded. His eyes narrowed as he saw the phone in Damen’s hands. “You’re texting that asshole aren’t you?” 

“No,” Damen started but Nik had already taken the phone away just as Damen saw a message appear. “Nik! Give it back! He replied!” He lunges for the phone but Nik started to run. Damen shouted after him as he chased his friend across campus to the student union where most of the football team and its cheerleaders were eating. There was a cheer as his friends spotted Damen and he grinned at them as he took a seat by Nik. “Hey Jokaste!” Nik called to a pretty blonde girl who happened to be the head cheerleader and Damen’s ex. “Take this.”

He tossed her Damen’s phone and she caught it. “Hey!” Damen exclaimed. “I need that!”

“No he doesn’t!” Nik informed everyone. “He won’t stop texting that bitch from his literature class, and he needs an intervention.”

“It’s safe with me,” Jokaste laughed, tucking the phone into the front of her shirt. 

Damen glowered at them all. “Whatever. I’m getting food.” 

“Oh! I’m coming too!” Jokaste exclaimed, running forward to take Damen’s arm as he walked. She leaned against him as if they were still together and she hadn’t slept with his brother. The low cut angle of her shirt gave him a clear view of his phone...and a lot else. He knew it was intentional; he couldn’t just reach into her shirt and take out his phone. He forced himself to look away as he ordered his food. 

“Oh, Damen, baby, will you get me a milkshake?” Jokaste purred. 

He sighed. “You’d better pay me back.” But he ordered it anyway. He really was too nice to her. He guessed he just felt bad after his brother used her the same way she’d used Damen. 

As he turned around with his food, Damen stopped short. Laurent. He would recognize that glare anywhere. Damen’s eyes went wide. Forget his phone! Laurent was right here! In the food court! Staring at Jokaste and Damen. Well...the circumstances could have been better but he was here, and that was great! “Here,” Damen said, handing Jokaste her milkshake and practically running over to the table where Laurent and his friend were. 

“Hi!” He exclaimed, sitting in the open chair by Laurent. 

The blue-eyed glare was sharper close up. “Is sitting at other people’s tables a habit of yours?”

“Well if I know the person, yeah,” Damen grinned. 

“What if we were talking about you?”

“Were you?” Damen asked, more excited than worried about the prospect. 

Laurent hesitated. “Actually...yeah.”

“Good things? I haven’t seen your text yet. Nik took my phone and now Jokaste has it in her shirt so I can’t cactus get it without causing a scene. Oh and I was reading more of the book. It’s really long, but I’m making progress!”

“Slow down,” Laurent said with the faintest hint of a smile. He glanced at Damen’s overflowing tray of food. “Can you really eat all that?”

Damen wasn’t sure why Laurent was changing the subject, but also Laurent was talking to him and that overruled anything else. “Of course,” Damen said. “But you can have some fries if you want.”

He saw the hesitation in Laurent’s eyes and instead of waiting shook out some of his fries onto Laurent’s plate which showed only the remnants of a salad. He thought he saw Laurent actually smile at that, but it was fine so quickly it could have been his imagination. 

“Damen, what the hell.” It wasn’t even a question, and Damen didn’t have to look up to know Nikandros was behind him. But he did look up only to see that Nik wasn’t looking at him but rather at Laurent’s friend. There was a pause then Nik extended his hand to the guy. “I’m Nik,” he said.

“Jord.” Laurent’s friend smiled, maybe even blushed a little.

“You’re got to be kidding,” Laurent said, looking between them.

Nik looked at Laurent for the first time. “So you’re the manipulative bastard who’s stealing Damen’s attention.”

“I wouldn’t say manipulative since he’s the one who won’t stop texting, and as far as stealing attention goes, I’d suggest you not be a hypocrite.” Laurent shot a pointed glance at Nik’s hand which still gripped Jord’s. 

Nik dropped his hand and stepped away, though his glare had no hope of rivaling Laurent’s. “Come on, Damen. Let’s get back to the team.”

Damen hesitated, and it was that moment that Jokaste chose to run up and sling her arms around his neck. “Damen, baby, I need help with math,” she pouted. She didn’t give him a chance to respond before she pressed her lips into his neck several times and bit his ear. “How many was that? I’m trying to get to sixty-nine.” She laughed at her own joke and craned her neck around to reach Damen’s lips. 

“If this is what you like on dates, I don’t think I’m interested,” Laurent said.

Damen cringed and pushed Jokaste away. “No, no, it’s not. Jokaste, go away.” He tried to shoo her like a fly and should have known it wouldn’t work as she instead grabbed his bicep and tugged at him. She couldn’t pull him out of the chair, but she was annoying. 

“We need to get back anyway,” Nik said now, and he could pull Damen out of the chair. Reluctantly, Damen grabbed his food and started away from Laurent. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow!” he called, but Laurent had already turned away and was talking to Jord. Damen’s heart sank a little, and he couldn’t quite join in his with his friends’ loud revelry. Jokaste returned his phone at the end of the meal, but his message from Laurent was buried under at least two dozen other notifications. That was weird. Damen knew he was popular, but twenty twitter mentions in half an hour was a bit excessive. He logged on to twitter and was instantly confused by the mass of tweets discussing himself and Laurent. Most called Laurent names or said something else unpleasant and it took Damen a few minutes to find the original tweet from Jokaste with a picture of Damen leaning towards Laurent. “Someone’s horny,” she’d captioned it. Damen cringed and hoped Laurent didn’t have twitter. 

His snapchat was exploding with messages too with several people asking him who the guy was and what they’d done together. He didn’t reply to any of them and instead checked the stories of his friends to see that all of them but Nik had posted something from his brief conversation with Laurent. Fuck.

Finally, Damen opened Laurent’s long-ago text. There had to be _some_ good news in all this, right?

**Laurent:** Sorry, no

Damen was pretty sure today qualified for the worst day of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from "Ophelia" by The Lumineers
> 
> Sorry this is so late guys! The holidays were so busy, but I had a lot of fun, and I hope everyone else did too! Hope you guys like this chapter. It felt a little like filler to me, but I'm excited for the next one and have already started writing it. Happy new year everybody!


	5. I Just Wanna Stay in the Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damen and Laurent have class again, and they talk a bit

“Hi, Laurent!” an unfamiliar, simpering voice said. He looked up, a scowl engraved on his face, and the girl squeaked before running away. Laurent shook his head. This had been happening all morning. People he didn’t know just came up and started trying to have a conversation. Once again, he was thankful that his day pretty much ended after this class…except Damen was in it, and he didn’t quite know how he felt about that.

He was fully expecting Damen to be late again, so it was a surprise when he entered nearly four minutes before the class started. He dumped his stuff unceremoniously on the floor and faced Laurent. It was obvious that he wanted to say something, but it seemed like he also didn’t know where to start. The overall effect was mostly one of constipation. “Are you sick?” Laurent asked, just to start the inevitable conversation.

“No,” Damen said slowly. “But…you didn’t text me.”

Laurent frowned. “I said I wasn’t going out with you. Was I supposed to qualify that statement?”

“Well, no, but…I mean…you didn’t see?”

“Clearly whatever hallucination you’ve been having, I did not share in it.”

“Oh,” Damen said. “Okay then.” He faced forward and reached into his backpack to actually take out a notebook and a pen. 

Laurent stared for a moment. “This has to do with why people have been talking to me all day, doesn’t it?” Damen didn’t answer, but Laurent could see in his tight expression that he did. “It’s only the second week of class! What the fuck did you do, Damen?”

Before Damen could answer, their professor spoke. “All right, everyone. Let’s focus on the lesson!” 

At that moment, Laurent would have liked to be anywhere except a classroom where he was supposed to pay attention. But Damen had already taken the opportunity of the lecture to open his phone and log on to Twitter. Laurent rolled his eyes and tried to listen to what the professor was saying. Damen kicked his ankle suddenly, and Laurent looked over as Damen passed over his phone. Frowning, Laurent propped the phone against his laptop screen to read it discreetly. 

Some of the tweets were rude or asked why Damen wasn’t still with Jokaste. Others were just jokes about Damen’s type, and several were commenting on whether or not a relationship had already formed. Laurent scowled as he read the tweets. He didn’t really care what any of them said, just that they were making him into some kind of campus celebrity. His uncle was unlikely to see anything, but there was still the nagging fear that he would. And he imagined his uncle wouldn’t like seeing Laurent in even a rumored relationship. 

He handed Damen the phone again and refocused on the lesson. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he glanced over at Damen who was holding his own phone and looking at Laurent. With a sigh, he pulled up the messages on his laptop, glad he had enabled that sharing. 

**Damen:** Are you mad?

Before Laurent could respond, another message appeared.

**Damen:** I’m almost done with the book by the way. I’ve been reading whenever I have free time.

**Laurent:** How do you feel about Darcy?

Probably, he should have answered the original question, but he didn’t feel like it, and he liked the little smile on Damen’s lips as he read the message and tapped out a reply.

**Damen:** He’s not too bad once you get to know him. 

**Damen:** Like someone else I know.

Laurent had to look away from the computer once he read that. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his leg and flinched violently. The professor paused in her lecture to look at him but shook her head and resumed speaking after a moment. A new message appeared on Laurent’s computer.

**Damen:** Sorry

**Damen:** I was trying to get your attention

**Damen:** I want to take you to dinner. Maybe before we meet for the project?

Was he kidding? After the entire campus had started talking about them? And Damen’s ex-girlfriend seemed to have it out for Laurent anyway. There was no good outcome if they went out together. 

**Laurent:** I can’t.

Damen frowned at his phone.

**Damen:** Can’t or won’t?

Laurent glanced at Damen a little surprised to see Damen’s eyes already locked on his own. He held Damen’s gaze with a glare, but it took several seconds before Damen looked away. Laurent turned back to his computer, and his fingers hovered over the keyboard.

**Laurent:** Can’t

He closed his computer then and dropped it into his backpack. Without a word, he grabbed his bag and walked out of the lecture hall. He waited outside the building, trying to catch his breath and wondering if Damen would follow. He probably would. That was just the kind of person he was. Laurent leaned back against a tree, dropping his backpack to the ground.

“Hey! Laurent!”

And there he was. Laurent waited as Damen ran towards him. “Damen,” he started. “This isn’t going to wo-“

Damen kissed him. It was quick and light and over almost before it had happened. But Damen’s hand lingered on Laurent’s cheek, his fingers twisting lightly in Laurent’s hair. Damen opened his mouth to say something, but Laurent cut in.

“If you quote that damn book, I may punch you.”

“I’d like to see you try,” Damen grinned at him. “Why can’t you go to dinner with me?”

Laurent hesitated, but he told the truth. “My uncle wouldn’t like it.”

“Your uncle? That’s who you were with over the weekend, wasn’t it?” Damen leaned in, so his breath brushed over Laurent’s lips as he spoke. “Who says he has to know?”

“He would find out.”

“Then…could I at least kiss you again?”

Laurent smiled a little. “That would be all right.”

Damen’s lips were on his in a second, and Laurent wrapped his arms around the other man’s neck. “I hate your uncle,” Damen gasped out between kisses.

“Most people do,” Laurent replied, and then he pressed his lips against Damen’s, grinning as Damen licked his lips. Laurent heard people talking suddenly and broke away from Damen. “I should get to work.”

Damen grabbed his hand. “’Till this moment I never knew myself,’” he quoted.

It took a moment for Laurent to pull his hand away. “I don’t think this is the right context for that quote.” But it still made his heart beat a little faster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title from "Ride” by Twenty One Pilots
> 
> So...yeah, this wasn't in my outline, but I liked it, so here you go. Happy New Year everyone!


	6. I Have Dreamed What a Joy You’ll Be

Damen was impossibly excited to be heading to the library later that evening. He had tried texting Laurent several times during the afternoon, but only received one curt text in reply that said not to text while he was working. Now that he was finally going to see Laurent again, Damen could hardly contain his excitement. The second he entered the library and saw Laurent seated at one of the tables with his laptop open, Damen rushed forward ready to kiss him again only to stop short.

It was late, but at a college library that meant nothing. There were still several people around, and if Laurent wanted whatever this was to remain private, Damen knew he couldn’t just kiss him in public. He smiled instead and sat in the chair next to Laurent. “How was work?”

“Average,” Laurent replied. He looked over at Damen though, and there was a bit of color in his cheeks, a bit of a smile in his expression. He refocused on his computer, decidedly not looking at Damen. “So for this project, it looks like we can do whatever we want to present some themes of the book. One of the examples is doing a skit, so maybe if you would want to do that…”

Laurent’s voice trailed off, and Damen saw the press of his lips as he stared at the computer screen. “I think it sounds great,” Damen said, and Laurent looked at him, happily almost. “And since we decided that,” Damen said, taking Laurent’s hands under the table, “we don’t really need to write the script right now, do we?”

Laurent swallowed visibly. “I guess not.”

“Take a walk with me?” Damen asked.

As if in a daze, Laurent nodded. He drew his hands out of Damen’s and packed his computer into his backpack. Halfway through packing up his things, Laurent looked back at Damen with those bright blue eyes. “Can you walk out before me?”

“Oh,” Damen said, “uh, sure.” He’d wanted to walk with Laurent; he wanted to do everything with Laurent. But if this was necessary for whatever reason, he didn’t mind. He grabbed his backpack and exited the library, taking a seat on a shadowed bench. It took a moment for Laurent to spot him when he came outside, but once he did, he walked forward quickly and sat mostly on Damen’s lap. Damen didn’t have a moment to think before Laurent was kissing him, and he held the other boy close, never wanting to let go. 

It was at least a minute before Laurent pulled away to take a breath, but it was still to soon. “Now what?” he asked. He was beautiful in the wan light that came from the inside of the library. It lit his hair like a halo, and Damen felt like all the dreams he had never ever imagined had come true in that moment. 

“We could walk now,” he suggested rather stupidly, but he wasn’t really sure what else Laurent expected them to do on the middle of campus. 

Laurent blinked. “You don’t want…something else?”

Damen didn’t understand for a second what Laurent meant, and when he did, he had the urge to hold Laurent tight and never let him go. “No,” he said. “Well, I mean, yes, you’re incredibly sexy, but I’d kind of like this to be more than just casual sex, wouldn’t you?” Laurent didn’t answer, and Damen pushed a strand of golden hair behind his ear. “Anyway, I don’t think Nik would appreciate your visiting us.”

“Nik?” Laurent asked, his eyes flicking back to Damen’s. “He’s your abrasive friend, isn’t he? The one who’s been texting Jord constantly since they met?”

“I assume so, since he’s barely looked away from his phone since yesterday.” Damen stood and took Laurent’s hand. “Come on,” he said, leading Laurent on a tour of the darkened university streets. There were few people out right now, and so long as they stayed in the shadows, Damen expected they would be all right. “So, about Jokaste yesterday, we’re not together.”

“Is she aware?” Laurent asked, but there was a teasing note in his voice. 

Damen shrugged. “I think I made it clear yesterday afternoon. Nik shouldn’t have given her my phone anyway, but you know how it is. They’re not friends – he hates her actually – but when you have the whole football team and the cheerleaders, you have to at least be friendly.”

“Yeah, I know all about that,” Laurent said, and Damen could hear the eye-rolling in his tone. 

Damen only shook his head, and they walked on in silence for a while. “Your uncle,” Damen said suddenly, and Laurent stiffened. “Not to pry, but is everything okay there?”

“It’s fine,” Laurent snapped.

“It’s not,” Damen said, coming to a stop and standing in front of Laurent, taking both his hands in his. “If something’s wrong, I can help you. Maybe you’d want to hang out this weekend? We could go to the beach or something. That’s a normal thing for college students.”

Laurent shook his head. “It wouldn’t work, and there’s nothing you can do.” He started walking again, and Damen trailed after him until they reached what he guessed was Laurent’s dorm. Here, Laurent paused. “This… _thing_ between us, it can’t be public.”

“That’s fine,” Damen said, though in all honesty, he wanted to run across the city and proclaim that he’d kissed Laurent, that he was in love. But he could hold back. He would for Laurent, whose hands were now sweating from nerves. “Hey,” Damen said, bending slightly to put his face at the same height as Laurent’s. “I’ll text you, and we’ll figure out how to do this.”

“Thank you,” Laurent said, and his eyes were as bright as the stars. There was no joy comparable to this finally being real. Damen was in love, completely, and he didn’t care how short a time he had known Laurent. He knew this was real, and he would do whatever it took to keep it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title from "I Have Dreamed" from The King and I
> 
> Hope you guys are enjoying the bits of fluff because they aren't going to last ~sorry not sorry  
> Also, next week may be a day late since my spring classes are starting and I'm not sure how my time will work out. I'll keep updating though for sure!


	7. Don’t Want to Be Alone

Laurent loved the illicit thrill of being with Damen. It had been a few weeks now of meeting on the upper floors of the library in the evenings or texting until the early hours of the morning. He could tell that it grated on Damen to keep everything secret, and he hated it too when someone came close and he walked away to pretend he was doing something else. But for now it was necessary.

The professor was lecturing already. Laurent hadn’t realized class had even started, and he blamed Damen for that. Damen who taken the seat beside him and had suddenly become so distracting with his hair and his face and honestly Laurent sounded like a lovesick idiot even to himself. But he was currently watching Damen taking notes, which was a rare occasion and something Laurent was finding very engaging. Damen’s dark eyes met his momentarily, and the other boy smiled. Fuck, Laurent was dying. He was having a stroke. There was no way a smile like that should be legal. 

“She’s talking about our book,” Damen whispered. “You should maybe listen.”

“Oh, right,” Laurent mumbled. He looked at the blank document on his laptop where he had meant to take notes, and he tried to focus on the professor.

“Darcy’s first proposal is the real turning point of the novel…”

Laurent’s phone vibrated in his pocket, and he felt a little guilty for how quickly he checked the message, hoping it was from Damen beside him. But he wasn’t that lucky.

**Nicaise:** You don’t need to come home this weekend.

Or maybe he was lucky?

**Laurent:** Why?

It took a few moments for Nicaise to respond, and Laurent found himself getting anxious. Damen tapped Laurent’s hand with his pencil, and Laurent flinched. He caught a quick glimpse of Damen’s face before his phone buzzed again.

**Nicaise:** Going to a weekend-internet-business-conference or some shit. I don’t fucking know, but he said you don’t need to come. 

That was…oddly fortunate. Laurent worried for Nicaise, but the kid could take care of himself for a few days, and Laurent would honestly love to have a whole weekend free from worrying about his uncle and trying to survive under the same roof as the man. He texted Nicaise to be safe and received an emoji giving him the finger in response. Laurent almost smiled at that. He started to put his phone in his pocket when he received another message. 

**Damen:** Everything okay?

He looked to the frowning boy beside him and nodded. He looked down at his phone and hesitated for a few moments over the keyboard. Do it. Just do it. Ask. Laurent took a breath and typed out the message, sending it before he could rethink it.

**Laurent:** Are you free this weekend?

He watched Damen’s eyes widen and saw his fingers fly on the keyboard. Suddenly, there was a commotion, and Laurent looked around, realizing the class had finished and people were trying to leave. Somehow, he and Damen were swept up in the crowd and carried outside. 

Damen grabbed Laurent’s wrist and pulled him around to the side of the building. He looked around furtively then grinned. “What did you have in mind?”

\--- --- ---

Originally, Laurent had suggested something simple like going to the movies, but he really shouldn’t have been surprised when Damen shot that idea down. He wasn’t surprised when Damen’s suggestion of a concert turned into a series of 2 am text messages that expanded the date into what had to be an entire anthology of first date ideas that definitely could not all be accomplished in one day.

As it was, Laurent negotiated down to only a few activities, though he was still a little unsure about Damen’s insistence on going canoeing. But, as promised, Laurent climbed into Damen’s car at 9 am on Saturday morning and sipped silently at his coffee as Damen sang (badly) along with the radio while they drove to a nearby park with a lake that rented out boats. 

It took some time for them to figure out what they were doing, and based on the circles they traced in the water, Laurent wasn’t sure they every really got the hang of it. Despite that, it was still fun to splash each other with the oars and buy a ton of junk food afterwards for an impromptu picnic. Laurent wasn’t as much into the outdoors as Damen clearly was, but he found he didn’t mind the easy hike they went on since it meant they could talk and laugh and kiss on the trail without the danger of anyone seeing. 

The car ride back into the city was much more enjoyable as Laurent good-naturedly mocked Damen’s singing and song choices until Damen dared him to sing the next song. After that, it became more of a contest to who could sing the worst. They went back to Damen’s apartment, surprising Nikandros and Jord who were clearly not informed about Damen’s elaborate all-day date idea. Laurent supposed he was partly to blame for that, but he didn’t really care as he and Damen took over Netflix in the living room and ordered take-out before they went to the concert in the park that Damen wanted to see. 

They took Damen’s car to the park. It hadn’t really been discussed whether the night would end at Damen’s apartment, but Laurent was starting to think that would be okay. “Ready?” Damen asked as he turned off the engine. 

“Yeah,” Laurent said with a little smile as he stepped out of the car. His phone rang suddenly, and he sighed wondering what could be so important that someone had to bother him. Probably Jord wondering where they’d put the leftovers. “Hello?” Laurent asked, holding up a finger to tell Damen it would be just a minute.

“La-Laurent, you-you need to come.”

Nicaise. Laurent tensed instantly, and he saw the concern in Damen’s expression. “What happened? Where are you? Are you okay?” The questions came out in a rush, but they weren’t fast enough when Laurent desperately needed the information right then. He needed to know it was okay.

“I-I can’t…he…” Nicaise was sobbing, and failing to speak comprehensively though his crying. 

“Nicaise, where the hell are you?”

“A-a hotel. In Ravenel. It’s called, um, something about a rose. I don’t know…”

“It’s okay,” Laurent said. “It’s okay. I’m on my way. Call me if anything happens.” He hung up and looked at Damen. “Sorry,” he said. “I have to go. I just need to call a cab or-or something –“

“Don’t be stupid,” Damen said, walking back to the driver’s side of his car. “Just tell me where to go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title from "What You Know" by Two Door Cinema Club
> 
> So that's a fun ending... But I promise I have this all planned out so I should still be posting on time next week (maybe early???) and yeah enjoy this


	8. Scared of Hope

Damen came to a stop outside the hotel Laurent pointed out. He started to unbuckle but Laurent stopped him. "Leave," Laurent said, his voice low and urgent.

"If something's wrong -"

"Leave, Damen. You aren't a part of this."

Damen felt a flush of anger course through him. "Then why did I drive you all the way here? I want to help you, Laurent! I care about you!"

Laurent paused at the admission, but only for a moment. "If you care about me, then you'll go back, and I'll text you later."

"Laurent -"

"End of discussion." Laurent slammed the door as he got out of the car and half-ran into the hotel, his phone already at his ear as he called whoever had been panicked enough to bring them here. Damen waited until Laurent was inside before he pulled around the corner and parked. Thankfully there wasn't much traffic to deal with for parallel parking at this hour. 

As quickly as he dared, he followed Laurent into the hotel. He was too big to be really good at hiding, but he could figure something out as he went. Pretend to be a guest at the hotel or something. He scanned the lobby and saw no sign of Laurent's golden hair. All right then.

Damen approached the receptionist, an attractive guy in his early twenties who seemed susceptible to Damen's smile. "I have a delivery for De Vere. Could you give me a room number?"

"I can have a concierge deliver -"

"It's a personal article," Damen pressed. "I think it would be best delivered in person." Damen gave the man a full smile and was rewarded with a bit of a blush but clearly not enough since the man was now explaining the hotel's policies. 

A shrill voice somewhere in the hotel startled him, and Damen turned to locate the speaker. It was a boy, probably twelve or thirteen but next to him was Laurent and an older man Damen didn't know but assumed was the uncle. Had something happened to Laurent's family then? Neither the boy (a cousin?) or the uncle looked hurt. Maybe there was an aunt Laurent hadn't mentioned. 

Damen knew better than to go up to Laurent and swing his arm around his boyfriend's shoulders (the term boyfriend hadn't been agreed upon, but Damen liked the ring to it), so instead he walked past them casually to hear what was being said. The uncle was speaking, and his voice dropped as Damen passed. Damn, that was annoying. And Damen knew Laurent had to have noticed him and would be seething now. He kept walking a little farther away, but close enough that he could still hear as he pretended to examine a fish tank.

"Who drove you here?" the uncle asked.

"A guy from one of my classes. I was studying."

"A guy? What was his name?"

"Like I know!" Laurent scoffed. "I don't have the time or energy to understand the idiots populating that place."

"Well, I hope your friend isn't waiting for you. You're coming back with Nicaise and me."

"I thought you had a conference."

"It was only the one day. Just a seminar on using technology more in business. Ordinarily, I would have sent someone else, but I thought it would be interesting to know more about how you youngsters communicate online. I have to protect you and Nicaise after all."

"Of course," Laurent replied, and Damen heard the ice in his voice. "Let me use the restroom, and I'll come up to the room in a moment."

A moment later, something bumped Damen's shoulder. "Hey!" he said instinctively only to see Laurent's eyes on his. Oh. The restroom. Damen flashed a smile at Laurent to let him know he understood then went back to examining the fish while the uncle and boy left. Then it was all Damen could do not to run after Laurent. 

In the restroom, Damen checked quickly that all the stalls were empty before he embraced Laurent who stiffened at the touch. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I told you to leave, and you didn't," Laurent answered.

"Yeah whatever. Why are we here? Did something happen to your cousin?"

"Cousin? Oh, Nicaise isn't my cousin." Laurent was quiet for a moment, and he leaned back against the countertop of sinks, clearly drained. "Everything's fine. You can go home."

Damen frowned. "I'm not stupid, Laurent."

"If you were smart, you would have left when I told you to."

"And leave you here? Without knowing what was happening? What if you got hurt?" Damen didn't know how to make Laurent understand his concern.

"I would have been fine," Laurent said, but it didn't ring true to Damen. 

They stood in silence for a few moments. "I'm not leaving until you talk to me."

Laurent didn't speak for a long time and then, "It was a test."

"What?"

"A test. A stupid, fucking test to see if I would come. Uncle thought I was out somewhere shacking up with a boyfriend, and he wanted to prove that he was still the most important person in my life, so he made Nicaise call me to see if I would come, and I fucking did." Laurent's control was slipping, and Damen knew he had to be exhausted. "It would have been worse if I hadn't come," Laurent continued, "but I hate that he made me. I hate him!" He slammed his fist into the wall, his whole body shaking.

Damen didn't know how to respond to such an uncharacteristic more. "That seems kind of abusive," he heard himself say.

Laurent laughed at that, but it was a sharp, cynical, almost deranged laugh. "No shit." He sagged against the wall, and Damen placed a gentle hand on his shoulder to move him closer.

"Can't you call CPS or something?" he asked. "I mean, he's probably not great at taking care of that kid either."

"Nicaise is a whole other issue," Laurent said, stepping just out of Damen's reach. "And it's hard to call CPS on someone who…" He glanced at Damen. "Never mind."

Damen sighed. "You know I'm going to look into this."

"I know," Laurent replied, decidedly not looking at Damen. "And you should know that I'm not going to hang out with you any more." 

_"What?!"_

Laurent looked at him with a steady gaze. "My uncle's whole seminar was on social media. If he's willing to freak me out like that just to see if I would come, what do you think he would do if he saw something about us?"

"Why should that matter?" Damen demanded. "You're an adult! You can leave! And what's the worst he could even do? Disown you?"

He didn't get a reply for that. Laurent just folded his arms and stared down at the marble countertop and the sinks. "Laurent," Damen tried. "I didn't mean to get mad -"

"I know. But...you don't know him. He can do a lot more than you think, and even if I could just leave, there's still Nicaise. I-I'm sorry."

Damen sighed. "All right, but we still have to meet for the project."

"Just once a week."

"And in a few weeks when this hopefully blows over...?"

"Then maybe we can try this date thing again," Laurent acknowledged, and Damen thought his smile might crack his face. "Don't get your hopes up," Laurent reminded him, but even he looked a little happy at the thought. 

"As long as this isn't the end," Damen said. 

Laurent pecked Damen's lips. "It's not."

Damen needed little prodding to draw Laurent into a deeper kiss, holding his boyfriend close and pushing him only a little roughly against the wall. Mentally, he was already gushing to everyone about how wonderful Laurent was while planning how he would get information on Laurent's uncle. But as soon as Laurent reached a hand between them, all of Damen's thoughts ceased.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title from "Incomplete" by James Bay
> 
> I finished early for once! And I've also started the next chapter, so I may get that up soon as well :D As for the chapter...there is a happy ending coming, but there's got to be some other stuff first so yeah


	9. Walls Closing In

Laurent set his backpack on the library table a little too loudly. "Do you know why complete strangers the asking me to tutor them in vector calculus?"

"Good evening, Laurent," Damen smiled. That wasn't going to work this time, Laurent resolved, taking his computer from his backpack so he wasn't looking at Damen's glorious smile. 

"I don't actually know vector calculus, Damen, and I'd appreciate it if you maybe didn't talk about me to everyone on campus."

"I don't talk to everyone."

"I'd bet $20 you told the librarian you were meeting me to study."

Damen pouted. "And what am I supposed to do? Not talk about how wonderful you are?"

"That would help with lying low, yes."

Damen's hand fell over his suddenly. "It's been three weeks. I need you."

Laurent didn't say anything for a long moment. He did tell Damen how much the feeling was mutual despite how worried he was. He pressed his lips together and was quiet. "We could maybe do something small."

"Dinner?" Damen suggested. "At the student union maybe? It would be informal, just a couple of people working on a project. I doubt anyone's even there."

"All right," Laurent conceded. "Maybe it will be better than the last date."

Damen smirked, "I thought the last date was all right. We'd have to do something exciting to make this better."

Laurent rolled his eyes as he lifted his backpack. "You've been fantasizing too much."

"Maybe I have," Damen replied, following Laurent who nudged him away as he hid a grin. Once in the more shadowed paths outside the library, Laurent took Damen's hand as they walked. Too soon, they reached the brightly-lit union, and Laurent let his hand fall away though his knuckles still brushed against Damen's as they walked. 

"Truly a romantic venue," Laurent commented as they stepped into the short line to get food. Damen only smiled and leaned in front of Laurent to pay for both their meals. 

"Is that more romantic?"

"That's you being stupid," Laurent said, but there was a pink flush on the tops of his ears. He started for a secluded table at the edges of the dining hall when several voices started to call Damen's name. 

Laurent looked in the direction of the rowdy table. "Who are they?"

"Ah, some friends," Damen explained. "I should say hello."

"Why must you know everyone?" Laurent sighed, but he accompanied Damen to the table where enthusiastic cheers greeted them. Somehow Laurent ended up sitting between Damen and another behemoth of a man beside whom Laurent didn't quite feel hungry or comfortable. He didn't bother trying to smile as Damen chattered with his friends. This was not the dinner he had signed up for.

After several minutes, Damen glanced at him, and his smile faded a little. He placed a hand on Laurent's leg and leaned close to whisper in his ear. "These are my friends, Laurent. You'll be fine."

"I came to eat with you, not them," Laurent growled back. 

"You look too constipated to eat anything," Damen chuckled, and Laurent kicked his ankle under the table. 

"Hey! Selfie!" someone called, and that was it. Laurent pushed his chair back with an ear-shattering screech and strode quickly out of the dining hall, his heart pounding in his ears. He made it to the shadowed benches in the little garden outside before he sat down with his head in his hands. 

"Laurent!" He looked up at Damen's shout. "Laurent, where are you? I'm sorry!" It took the big brute a few seconds to spot him, but he ran over when he did and dropped onto his knees in front of him. "Laurent, I'm so sorry. I didn't know they would be there, and I didn't mean to stay with them. I wouldn't if I'd known you would be uncomforta -"

"Why the hell would I not be uncomfortable, Damen? Did you even think?"

Damen flinched a little, startled at the flinty tone of Laurent's voice. "I-I guess not. I'm sorry. It won't -"

"It won't happen again," Laurent finished for him, nodding. "It can't."

"Yes, of course," Damen said, rising and sitting on the bench beside Laurent. "I won't let it happen -"

Laurent shook his head. "It won't happen again because this isn't working. We have to stop."

"What?"

"We have to stop," Laurent repeated, breathing through his nose and facing away from Damen so he couldn't give away how much it hurt him. 

"Laurent, no," Damen said, and Laurent could hear the pain in the words. 

"I can't - I can't do this, Damen. Being away from you, it's hard but we can move on. We have to because being together just…it isn't working. We can't do anything normal, and it's just too hard to keep going like this."

Damen grasped his hand, and Laurent turned. "Tell me you want me to leave, and I will," Damen said, his eyes shining. "If you don't love me, I'll accept that."

"Damen -"

"Tell me."

Laurent was quiet for a long moment. "I don't love you."

Damen's grip on his hand slackened, and he stood. "All right then," he said. He lingered for a few moments. "And the project?"

"The script is finished. Practice your part, and we'll present the skit in class, and that will be it."

"All right," Damen said again. He seemed incapable of saying much else. There was another long moment of silence between them, neither speaking, neither daring to change what had been said already. Damen nodded and turned to walk slowly away. 

Laurent watched him retreat into the shadows, and he bit back the lump of tears that rose in his throat. He would not cry over this. It had been the best decision. And to confirm that, he took out his phone and opened the twitter app he'd downloaded only recently. He searched quickly for the Lamen hashtag pictures of him and Damen had sometimes been tagged with and sure enough there were a few from early that evening of Damen's head bent towards his and faint smiles on their lips. 

Slowly, Laurent blew out the breath he'd been holding. This was why. He couldn't pretend things would be all right. He had learned better than that long ago. This hurt, but it was better to suffer this pain than to try and live his life as though he were free. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title from "Gotta Get Away" by The Offspring
> 
> Sorry for the late update; I didn't realize how busy I would be this week! But as to the chapter itself...I promise there is a happy ending coming. Thanks so much to everyone who's read and commented! You guys are the best!


	10. Seems like it's crumbling down

Jord had effectively moved into Damen's apartment. He spent most of his time in Nik's room to be fair, but it was still grating when the two of them were literally anywhere else. For instance, Nik was allegedly making dinner, but in actuality, he was taking every spare second to make out with his boyfriend. "Can you please stop?" Damen rolled his eyes. The smoke alarm was going off now because someone hadn't taken the food from the oven.

"I told you not to do this," Nik said. "You should have known from the start he would break your heart."

"He didn't mean it."

Nik arched an eyebrow but said nothing. Jord looked over at Damen, "Are we talking about Laurent?"

"Don't get him started," Nik cautioned.

"He does care!" Damen exclaimed. "I know he does! It's just his stupid uncle that's the reason for all this!"

"He's not a kid. I'm pretty sure the uncle is just an excuse." Nik set a place of half-burnt lasagna in from of Damen. "Sorry, man, but face it, you got dumped."

Damen shook his head. "Jord, you know him. The uncle is terrible, right?"

Jord hesitated. "I'm not sure Laurent would want me talking about this. It's really his business."

"If you don't tell me, I'll find out on my own."

Nik scoffed. "How?"

"I'll think of something," Damen shrugged. "Jord, anything?" The other boy shook his head, and Damen took his lasagna into his room. He opened his laptop and started with a few google searches for Laurent and then his uncle. It didn't take long to find the man's rather shady-looking bodyguard business that had been questioned a few times as a possible front for everything from money laundering to drugs. Even if the rumors weren't true, Damen could see why Laurent would want to distance himself from the man. And really, there had to be something illegal going on, didn't there? If Damen could get Laurent's uncle put away, Laurent wouldn't have to worry about the man. At the very least, he could probably get him for stalking.

He picked up his phone to call Makedon, his father's friend in the FBI. "Hey," he said when the man answered. "You wouldn't have any files on the last name de Vere, would you?"

"I can look," Makedon said, and Damen heard him typing. "De Vere, family-run business, definitely a front for something, but there's no hard evidence or any problems big enough that we can really investigate. You got something?"

"My…friend. His uncle runs the place, and the man is stalking him at least. Can you check it out?"

Makedon sighed. "Damen, you're a good kid, but I can't just have the FBI trail some random person because he's bothering your friend. You need something solid. See you around, son."

"Wait!" Damen exclaimed, thinking furiously. "The kid at the hotel."

"What?"

"His uncle! He had a kid with him, and Laurent said it wasn't the man's son."

"Could have been adopted," Makedon said, but Damen heard him searching again. He held his breath, hoping for something at least a little suspicious. "Yeah, got it here. Kid's name is Nicaise; the uncle has been fostering him for a couple years now. He's had a few others, all boys about that age, but nothing ever seemed to work out. Hold on." Damen listened to the clicks and typing on the other end. This was it. There had to be something. "One of the boys accused the uncle of sexual assault, but the case was dismissed."

That was something. "Why? What happened?"

"Lack of witnesses. The kid decided not to testify."

"What was his name?"

"Erasmus. You think there's something to this?"

Damen shrugged then remembered that gesture didn't carry over the phone. "Maybe. I'll call you later."

"Damen, be careful. You don't want to get involved with this man. He's got connections to gangs at the least, even if he isn't tied to any of them."

"Well, are you going to investigate?"

"Erasmus's case was closed. There's not much I can -"

"Then I guess I'm meeting this kid. Is there an address?" Makedon hesitated only a few moments more before giving Damen the information he needed. Within minutes, Damen left the apartment and got into his car. It was a bit late to be calling on people, but he didn't really care as he pulled up to Erasmus's apartment building. He pressed the button to ring the apartment, and after a moment someone answered.

"What?"

"My name is Damen de Akielos. Is this Erasmus?"

"No."

There was a long pause. "Well, can I talk to him? I'm with the police. We're looking back into the de Vere case."

Another pause, and then the door clicked. "Come on up."

Damen took the stairs two at a time in his excitement and tried not to pound on the door when he reached it. An angry-looking man answered and pushed Damen into the hall. "You don't look like police." It was the same voice he'd spoken to on the intercom.

"I'm undercover. Can I talk to - "

"Not yet. Listen, if you make him upset, I'll make sure you regret it. This thing with de Vere is sensitive, and your lot didn't do very well at getting the man put away. You'd better not pressure him to testify either because that didn't go well last time."

Damen blinked. "I, uh, I just have a few general questions. Gathering evidence and stuff, you know."

The man frowned but let Damen into the apartment where a younger, very beautiful man was seated on the couch, staring blankly at the TV. "You ruined our dinner too," the older man scowled.

Damen ignored him. "Erasmus? I'm Damen." He extended his hand, and After a moment, Erasmus shook it. "So," he began, "what can you tell me?"

Damen left Erasmus and Torveld two hours later with more information than he even wanted to have really. He called Makedon as he drove back to his apartment and relayed everything. He couldn't help a flush of pride when the officer commended him. Exhausted after the long evening, Damen let himself into the building. It was funny, he thought, how paranoid being tired could make you. It almost looked like there was someone watching him from a parked car across the street as he stepped inside.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from "Burning Ground" by Brandon Jenner


	11. Cheated and Lied, Broken so Bad

"I'm not going."

"Yes, you are." 

Laurent didn't look up from his novel to answer. "Just because your boyfriend plays football doesn't mean you get to drag me along."

"It's homecoming!"

"So what? We never went before." Laurent read three lines of the book over again, as he tried to be resolute in his decision not to go to the big game.

"Damen will be there."

Something curdled in Laurent's stomach at the mention of Damen. He knew he shouldn't have said what he did, but what choice did he have? "We broke up. That's not much of an incentive."

"You know you miss him."

Laurent hesitated. "I'm not going to talk to him, so there's not much point in it."

"Wouldn't you like to see him at least? Or you could just cheer for the school like a normal person and stop moping."

Heaving a sigh, Laurent set his book aside. "What would it take for you to drop this?"

"Quite a bit since I already got us tickets." Laurent glared at him, but Jord only grinned. "Saturday night. Don't make plans."

Much as he hated it, Laurent did have an excuse now. "My uncle -"

"Is going out of town. I read your email."

Laurent frowned. "A - Don't read my email, and B - him being out of town isn't an excuse if you remember last time."

"Look, do you want to see Damen or not?"

For a long moment, Laurent was quiet. He sighed at last. "Fine."

... 

Saturday night came with a cool breeze, signaling the fast-approaching end of the football season. Laurent wore a hoodie that he may or may not have "borrowed" from Damen and carried a spare aspirin for when his anxiety about going out for the evening would eventually come to prominence again. They had what Laurent assumed where good seats, just beside the field, and Jord bought far too many concessions for them to enjoy. 

The game started with a loud announcer's blare through the stadium and electrifying music as the athletes ran onto the field. The fans rose in a wave of cheers, shouting for their favorites. Laurent stood as well, stoic and silent, but he smiled when Damen appeared. For him it was the equivalent of shouting, and Damen caught his eye with a grin. Laurent felt something warm inside him as the game began, and even if he didn't completely understand the fumbles and interceptions that people were so concerned about, he could tell their team was winning. Damen was the main focus of his attention, and the star quarterback seemed to be doing well, even to Laurent's inexperienced viewing. 

The buzzer rang for halftime, and the players ran off the field to cool down. Damen stopped for a moment by Laurent. "I'm glad you came," he beamed.

Laurent flushed. "You're, um, you're doing well."

Damen grinned and ran off. Still red-cheeked, Laurent sat down as the band took centerfield and people pushed past him to buy more concessions. Even Jord left, having somehow managed to finish all his food.

"Laurent!"

Every muscle in his body tensed as Laurent turned to see his uncle pushing his way through the stands. A larger man Laurent knew as Govart followed him. Laurent stood, his lips pressed tightly together as he waited to see how this would play out. The stands around him seemed to have gone quiet.

"So this is what you do with your free time?"

"It's a football game, Uncle. Many people attend these."

His uncle's hand cracked against Laurent's cheek, and Laurent stumbled back, placing his own hand over the stinging pain. It wasn't unusual for his uncle to hit him when the man was angry, but not in public. It was too dangerous to his outer persona. "I know your boyfriend's looking into my business, you little shit," he growled. "And let me tell you, I've got the whole state under control, so if he messes around he's going to find out just how bad I can make things."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Laurent said. Outwardly, he was calm, but on the inside, a storm was raging. Damen was investigating? Why? He had to know it was dangerous! That was why Laurent had broken things off in the first place!

His uncle stepped aside to let Govart pass, and the big man gripped Laurent's arm in a vice that would leave bruises. With Laurent unable to move away, Govart delivered a swift punch to his ribs that made Laurent double over with a shout of pain. He forced himself to stand up again as he looked at his uncle. "What's the point of this? I thought you had to keep your unsavory activities hidden."

"Generally, yes, but I thought I'd drive the point home to your boyfriend." His uncle stepped to the side, and Laurent locked eyes with Damen who was only just restrained by Nikandros. The stadium was far to quiet he realized, and looking around, he saw that the band had ceased playing, and on the jumbo screens, it was his own face that was projected. He looked away. 

"So, Nephew, I think it's time we went home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title from "First" by Cold War Kids
> 
> I'm sorry guys, but it was coming. Things have to get worse before they get better, you know. Thanks to everyone who's liked and commented so far!


	12. Maybe It's Not an Ending

Damen entered the library and found the desk where Laurent was sitting and staring blankly at his computer without a partner at the desk this evening. As he approached the desk, Damen cleared his throat. Laurent flinched, but looked at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you. Jord mentioned you've been skipping some classes, including ours."

Laurent had the decency to look apologetic. "There's just stuff going on. But you can't just hang out while I'm working."

"Can I entice you to talk to me when your shift is over? You only have twenty more minutes, right?" Laurent hesitated. "I found out some stuff about your uncle."

He looked up at that, worry in his eyes. "Like what?"

"Like what he does but also what witnesses would be willing to testify."

Laurent blinked. "You did?"

"Interested in talking now?" Damen teased. "I'm going to buy dinner, then I'll wait for you outside. Any requests?"

Damen saw the hesitation in Laurent's eyes, and leaned forward, batting his eyelashes with a flirtatious grin that made Laurent roll his eyes. "I assume you're getting pizza?"

"And I assume you want a salad?"

A faint smile crossed Laurent's lips as he nodded. Damen smiled. "I've missed you," he said.

"You're insufferable," Laurent said, looking back at his computer with a clear determination not to smile. 

"Yes, and you love it," Damen replied and strode out to the union to buy their dinners. He found a secluded table by the library and waited for Laurent who emerged not much later and looked around until he found Damen. 

He hurried over to the table. "What do you know?"

"Eat something first. You don't look healthy."

Laurent scowled, but he ate some of the salad and looked expectantly at Damen. "Well?"

"Well, first I wanted to apologize for the football game. I tried to get to you, but Nik thought it could get worse if I got involved."

"He's probably right."

Damen hesitated. "What, um, what happened?"

Laurent shrugged. "Not much, really. Govart beat me up a little, but really I'm fine." His smile was a little forced though, and Damen placed a hand over his on the table.

"On a better note, I suppose, I contacted some of my father's friends, and after some work with a few people familiar with your uncle, we possibly have evidence that could be used to convict him."

"How?" Laurent asked. "My uncle wouldn't be so foolish as to leave any sort of paper trail and even if he did, he would have the best lawyers he could buy on retainer."

Damen hesitated. "That's sort of the difficult part. There was this boy, Erasmus, who's agreed to testify, and he mentioned that he had once seen a list of expenses, on paper of course so it couldn't be hacked. He used to…"

"I know why he knows my uncle," Laurent said.

"Yes, well, apparently one time he happened to see your uncle with these papers by accident before they were put away, and he said they listed everything. The only thing is that we don't physically have the documents."

Laurent was quiet for a long minute. "You need me to get the papers."

"Basically."

He considered. "He has a safe in his bedroom. If he keeps them in the house, that's where they'd be."

Damen looked at his friend, his lover across the table and wished more than anything that Laurent didn't have to be a part of this. "I'm sure we can find another way to -"

"No. Nothing else would work. I'm the only person who could get close without raising suspicion. I'll do it."

"Laurent -"

"Promise me something first."

"Yes, anything!"

"When this is over, I want to try that date again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title from "Press Restart" by Walk the Moon
> 
> Sorry for the long delay, guys! A lot of stuff came up in the last week and kept me from getting this finished, but everything's good now, and we're getting to the end. I have spring break next week, so hopefully I can get this all wrapped up then! Until then, I hope you all enjoy


	13. The Only Place Worth Being

It felt almost like a normal weekend as Jord drove Laurent to his uncle's house Friday afternoon. They stopped outside the ordinary suburban house, and Laurent exhaled. "You going to be okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Laurent said. 

"Mic on?"

Laurent nodded. He didn't really need the microphone since it wasn't as if he was aiming for a verbal confession, but Damen had wanted to hear what was going on in case there was some problem. If all went well, this would be over within a few hours, but if he were being honest, Laurent wasn't really expecting it to go well. He took a deep breath and grabbed his backpack as he got out of the car. Walking into the house felt as it did every week, which was not to say it was pleasant but only un-alarming. He ruffled Nicaise's hair much to the boy's displeasure. 

"How was your week, Nephew?" his uncle asked.

"Adequate."

"No bothersome football players distracting you from your studies?"

"None at all." Laurent set his backpack down by the couch. "I should apologize for how I behaved last week, Uncle. I'm sorry I let myself be so distracted."

His uncle frowned. "You're oddly repentant."

Laurent affected a smile. "I only wanted to thank you. I realize how much you've done for me these past few years, and I haven't been as grateful as I should have been."

"Well, maybe you can start being grateful by making supper."

With a nod, Laurent walked into the kitchen where a recipe for pasta was already set out. He boiled the water while his uncle still watched but when he and Nicaise had gone, Laurent dropped the sauce into the trash can, careful to bury it under the other garbage. He did the rest of the cooking up to the point where he would need the sauce then took a quick breath as he hoped this stupid plan would work. "Uncle!" he called.

It took a few moments, but his uncle came into the room, looking more than a little irate. "What?"

"There's no sauce."

"Of course there is!" His uncle threw open the cabinets, slamming them in frustration as he found nothing. "Nicaise!" he shouted, and the smaller boy ran into the room. "Where the hell is that sauce I told you to buy?"

Nicaise looked from Laurant to his uncle and back, clearly confused. Laurent tried to communicate through his expression that the boy needed to go along with it, and after a moment, he hung his head. "I-I must have forgot."

"You stupid little -"

Laurent darted forward as his uncle drew back his fist. He pushed Nicaise behind him before the punch could land. "I could go buy some if you tell me what brand you want."

"No, you're as stupid as he is. I'll get it myself, and if you two little shits even think about messing this place up, I'll call Govart over here to beat you both."

"Yes, Uncle," Laurent said. He watched his uncle leave, slamming the door behind him and turned to Nicaise. "There's a black car one street over with no plates. You need to run there and get in the car, understand?"

Nicaise nodded but was still confused. "What the fuck is -"

"I'll explain when later," Laurent promised. "Just go."

The boy ran and Laurent darted up the stairs to his uncle's bedroom, taking them two at a time. He found the safe easily enough but there was a number lock on it. Laurent cursed and started trying sequences that seemed like they could have some meaning to his uncle. Birthdays, death days, any important event he could think of. 

"I knew you were up to something."

Laurent whirled around, seeing his uncle framed in the doorway. "Uncle, I-I was looking for -"

"Shut up, you little twerp," his uncle growled. He strode lazily across the room to his dresser. "I'm not stupid enough to pick an easy code, Laurent. The way into that safe is a random string of numbers you'd never guess. And you won't have to." He turned around, releasing the safety on a small gun.

"You're going to shoot me?" Laurent asked, more in shock than anything else. "People-people will notice I'm gone. They'll ask questions."

"I'll pin it on Nicaise."

"He's not -"

"Here?" His uncle laughed. "Laurent, you naïve little boy, you never could outsmart me. I saw those cars circling the past few days, following me. I had some of my men outside just waiting for you to slip up. They've got Nicaise by now, and that poor little boy will do anything if I promise to love him, just like you used to. He's getting a bit old for me though, but I doubt anyone would question it if that troubled teen got his hands on a gun and accidentally shot someone. It happens all the time, after all."

Keep him talking. Laurent had the thought out of nowhere, but it was a good one. He still had the microphone. An oral confession would be just as good as whatever was in that safe at least as far as giving the waiting police a reason to enter the house. "You've had Nicaise for years now. He could testify about what you've done."

His uncle laughed. "He wouldn't. Govart and my men can be convincing when it comes to such things, and if he's still a problem, it wouldn't be hard to fake a suicide. I've done it before. Anyway, I've got my eye on a new one, a sweet little boy who looks just like you did. If you weren't so hell-bent on causing problems for me, I would consider letting you watch as I fucked him. As it is though," his uncle smiled, "it's been lovely knowing you, Laurent."

Time slowed then as his uncle's finger curled on the trigger. The door slammed open, and they both looked towards it and the men who ran through. A familiar face led the charge, and Laurent's lips formed Damen's name, forgetting for a moment about the bullet flying through the air. 

There had been a song on the radio that afternoon as he rode in Jord's car. A love song, and its lines played in Laurent's head as he looked at Damen. You're the only one worth seeing, the only place worth being. He'd messed up so badly in falling in love with Damen. He hadn't meant to be so aloof, and he hoped Damen would understand that - that Laurent had tried to keep him out of all this mess. The truth was, there were very few people whom Laurent loved, but somehow Damen had worked his way into that small group. 

Damen was diving towards him, and the other men where rushing towards Laurent's uncle, and the single bullet raced through the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from "Cold Cold Man" by Saint Motel
> 
> Sorry for the delay, but I hope it was worth it. One more chapter to go!


	14. I'd Love to Feel Love

There was a comfortable softness to the world that made it not quite so sharp around the edges. Even Laurent's thoughts were slow, particularly in relation to their normal rapid speed. He blinked slowly, taking in the fluorescent lights above him and the sounds of a steady beeping. A hospital?

It came back to him now, Damen knocking him almost out of the way, and the bullet striking his arm instead of his chest. His uncle had been tackled to the ground and disarmed, while some of the officers went to find Nicaise. Laurent remembered clinging to Damen through it all and trying not to let on how it felt like a fire had torn through him. He remembered Damen ripping off his shirt and tying it in a sort of tourniquet around the wound to hold it until the ambulances came. That was where the memory ended. 

"Laurent!" The light in the room disappeared as a huge form half-fell onto the bed atop Laurent. 

"Let him breathe, Damen." Nikandros's voice came from somewhere in the distance, and the hulking mass that had tried to crush Laurent pulled back, resolving into Damen. 

Laurent coughed. "Nicaise?" he asked.

"Jord took him to buy ice cream," Damen said, sitting in the chair beside the bed and offering Laurent ice chips. "He's fine."

"And my uncle?"

"In custody without bail. The trial will take time, but there's not much hope of him getting out."

Laurent nodded, processing the information slowly and then drifting back to sleep. He woke off and on, but within two days, he was released from the hospital. The bullet hadn't struck anything major, and he had more than healed. His uncle's house, it seemed, had actually been Laurent's, left to him by his parents. He planned to sell it as soon as possible though; there were too many bad memories in the place. Damen's contacts had pulled a few strings to allow Nicaise to stay with Laurent while the trial progressed and until Laurent could take legal responsibility for the boy. 

Not wanting to go back to the house though, Laurent and Nicaise stayed at Damen's apartment. Nikandros had no objection to joining Jord in the small dorm room until a more permanent situation could be negotiated. Slowly but surely, the semester drew closer to its end, and things went back to normal. 

One evening in early December, Damen dropped onto the couch beside Laurent, forcing him to close the book he'd been reading. "So, we have that presentation next week."

"I know."

"Funny thing, these are apparently done in an auditorium, so we can invite friends to watch if we want."

Laurent looked at him. "What did you do?"

"I may have mentioned it to a few people."

...

On Tuesday afternoon, there were definitely more than a few people in attendance. Laurent sat by Damen in the front seats reserved for students, but he couldn't help but glance back from time to time at the growing audience. When it was their turn to present, a huge cheer went up, and Laurent shot a teasing sort of glare at Damen who only smiled. 

As the project was rather open ended, some groups had made poster boards explaining themes of their chosen work, while others did PowerPoints or mock interviews with characters. One pair had even chosen to perform an interpretive dance of Frankenstein. For Laurent and Damen's presentation though, they had written a short script that covered the major plot points of Pride and Prejudice. Although they had practiced a few times in private, performing for an audience was different. Laurent was nervous at first, but slowly he lost himself in the character. It wasn't hard, seeing how his initial reluctance to get to know Damen had led to some harsh judgments, like expecting to do all the work on this assignment. Laurent smiled at the thought now. He had finally come around to the idea of loving and being loved by something, and it was like he had finally started to go in the right direction - towards Damen. 

When they finished, there was a thundering round of applause, most, admittedly, from Damen's fans who would have cheered no matter the outcome, but Laurent still felt accomplished. As soon as possible, Damen took his hand to slip outside. It was cold now in the shaded grove where they had first kissed after class, but Laurent couldn't feel that. Damen held his hands in larger ones, shielding Laurent's from the cool winds. 

"You told me before that we couldn't be together, that it wouldn't work, but I hope now things are different. If you still feel like you did that this can't work between us, tell me." He paused, and Laurent smiled, knowing Damen was recalling lines from the novel. "My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me forever."

"You're too dramatic by half," Laurent smiled. "Of course I love you."

"That's not how it -"

Laurent interrupted him with a kiss, and as students filed out of the building, some applauded, and some laughed at how they looked still in their costumes. But Laurent heard none of it. He was in love, and that was he cared to know. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title from "The Wrong Direction" by Passenger
> 
> Thanks so much to everyone who kept up with this fic, and I hope the ending is enjoyable! I've had a lot of fun writing, since this is my first multi-chapter fic. You guys are great! Thanks for all the love on this!


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